UPSC Mains 2025 Timetable Announced: Build Your Battle Plan Now

By Prashant for PuneriPages.in

For months, it was a distant mountain, an abstract goal you were slowly marching towards. You spoke of it in hypotheticals—”when Mains comes,” “if I clear Prelims.” It was a destination on a map without a specific arrival time.

Today, that changes.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the timetable for the Civil Services (Mains) Examination, 2025. The abstract dream now has a concrete deadline. The mountain now has a summit date. The marathon now has a finish line.

And it begins on August 22, 2025.

This isn’t just a schedule; it’s the starting pistol for the final, most grueling lap of your journey. This is the moment when preparation shifts from a broad accumulation of knowledge to a focused, strategic assault.

First, The Facts: Your Schedule for Destiny

Let’s get the logistics out of the way. Mark your calendars. Block these dates. This is your life for one week in August.

UPSC Civil Services (Mains) Examination, 2025 Timetable:

August 22, 2025 (Friday):
Paper I: Essay (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

August 23, 2025 (Saturday):
Paper II: General Studies I (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Paper III: General Studies II (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

August 24, 2025 (Sunday):
Paper IV: General Studies III (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Paper V: General Studies IV (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

August 30, 2025 (Saturday):
Paper A: Indian Language (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Paper B: English (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

August 31, 2025 (Sunday):
Paper VI: Optional Subject Paper I (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Paper VII: Optional Subject Paper II (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

From Timetable to Battle Plan: How to Use This Information Today

A timetable is not just a bunch of dates. It’s your blueprint, your battle map.

1. Analyze the Gaps:

Notice how intense the GS phase is. Three days. Five papers. Pure endurance. Then comes your recovery window—five golden days before the language and optional papers. Use them wisely. This isn’t downtime; it’s crunch time for optional subject polishing.

2. Reverse Engineer Your Schedule:

Work backwards from August 22. When do you finish the full syllabus? When does answer writing become the focus? When are your last mocks? Having a fixed D-day makes it easier to work with non-negotiable deadlines.

3. Shift Focus from Reading to Rehearsing:

Reading won’t be your savior now. It’s time to answer. Write. Revise. Simulate exam conditions. The exam will test not just what you know but how quickly and crisply you can write what you know.

This Is More Than an Exam. It’s a Mental Game Now.

At this stage, everyone has the same books, the same material. What sets you apart is your mindset. Your ability to show up every day, even when motivation falters. Your calm when a mock test goes badly. Your faith that this effort is shaping not just a candidate but a future civil servant.

So, while you revise Laxmikant and practice essays, don’t forget to eat well, sleep on time, stretch, meditate—whatever it takes to protect your peace.

You’re not just preparing for an exam. You’re preparing to take responsibility for a nation.